Post Card
by kari shishi
Summary: 5 years after the events of the carnival and Shizuru has been gone for 3 of them. She keeps contact with Natsuki via postcard throughout her absence. Will the cards be enough for Natsuki or will she drown in the absence of Shizuru?
1. The Waiting

**Well this came to me one day while wondering what it would feel like to look out a huge window in the middle of the city while it's night time. lol I know, I'm still trying to make a story out of it. maybe not, we'll see.**

**Anyway I don't own anything.

* * *

**

**--------------**

**_The Waiting_**

**_------------  
_**

There she sat, in her chair, staring out the large glass wall to the city below. There were too many lights on to see the stars, but the skyscrapers nearby and the street lights far below were view enough for the girl as she absorbed the sight in silence. She did this every night, waiting in her large studio apartment on the only single couch in the whole room. Behind her, across the empty coffee table and large living room the door remained closed. She wondered when that door might open and give her some insight into what it was exactly that she was waiting for. So far no such luck.

She swished the cup in her hand, listing to the ice clink against the glass before taking a sip of the brandy. She wasn't a serious drinker, but there had been some heavy nights where she lost her self in the waiting to the point where she was too drunk to climb up the ladder leading to her bed, above the kitchen, that she just passed out on the carpet below it. Tonight she made it a point to not keep the brandy on the small table to her left just to avoid that, but now as her drink was coming to an end she was beginning to wonder if that had been such a good idea.

_Shizuru..._

She let out a sigh deciding perhaps she should take the empty glass as a sign to go to bed. She clicked off the small lamp on the same table where her brandy should have been and made her way to the ladder nailed to the wall to the left of the kitchen bar. Sitting up in her futon she took one last look over the small rail keeping her from seven feet of doom, to the door that remained still. _Good night...Shizuru._

The morning came too soon in her opinion. Her alarm blaring, strategically placed across the room on the fire place. "Damn it," she grumbled climbing down the ladder rungs and making her way across to stop the incessant nagging of the alarm. She made it to the kitchen with little incident despite her nasty habit of bumping her shins against the low table. She made herself some tea and toast, the tea more out of a long practiced habit from having Shizuru around, before climbing back up the ladder to get ready for her day.

It has been five years since the worst days of her and her friends lives during high school, that some scrawny punk and a midget in a wheel chair had the nerve to call a carnival. Many sins had been committed from all parties involved but each came out of it alive, or rather not totally dead. Someone once said "to avoid death doesn't meant the same as to live," Natsuki felt that after that experience she knew exactly what they were trying to say. So she tried to move forward and not just not be dead, but to live as well, and that included forming a new and stronger friendship with her most important person, who happened to get a bit drunk on crazy during the whole ordeal. Who also, in her opinion anyway, took the recuperation period the hardest.

Shizuru, who was totally and desperately in love with her. Something that Natsuki couldn't even begin to understand. The concept of love for her was a foreign idea that slapped her in the face in her freshman year of high school. Even now she sometimes wondered what it truly meant having someone as your "most important person", what it meant to die in each others arms, to the best of one's knowledge at the time, to be the last and only person to hold in a tight and safe embrace to the other side. The return to life had been a double edged sword, so many ends that now had to be tied, so many things that could never be repaired, undone, but at least they all knew where their faults lay; which led to Shizuru's eventual departure.

She tried, everyday, and Natsuki tried to convince her that Natsuki was okay, that they were okay, but the knowledge of her breakdown was gnawing at Shizuru from the inside. Shizuru needed to regroup herself, so through many tears and broken, I'm sorry I love you's, she left on her own journey. That was three years ago.

She always sent a postcard from wherever she was around the world, with promise of her eventual return once she got a hold of herself for Natsuki's sake, but all Natsuki wanted was for her to come home. The only reason she didn't track the postcards back to Shizuru was because Natsuki understood and respected Shizuru's need to re-center herself, she just wished she could have done it from somewhere much closer, like her studio apartment, where Natsuki was currently wiggling into stockings and a business skirt.

When Natsuki moved to Tokyo for a job opening she made sure to send notice to Shizuru and she was glad to see that the cards were still coming. She kept them in the bottom drawer of her desk at work with her sketches, so that way she could always look through them whenever she became stressed. She had some from Australia, China, Korea, India, all over Africa and Europe, The Americas, Canada and most recently Alaska. Natsuki hoped that that meant she was almost home, as each card seemed to be following a path. But who knew really, all she could do was wait and see.

At work she looked over the spreadsheets for this quarter's sales. It was her job to type them up and bring coffee to her boss, sometimes even make the presentations for her boss' meetings. But anyway, what are interns for right? One day she hoped to move up from the boring office aspect of her job and maybe become one of the designers, but for now she was stuck here. She had a sneaking suspicion that she would be for a while simply because she was a girl. As it was she raised eyebrows for her motorcycle hobby, but she didn't pay them any mind. She was used to it from school after all. The lingering stairs, the hushed whispers, many of life's problems could be solved by a glare here or there, but with annoying people it was much easier to just ignore them. So she did.

"Kuga-san, can you come here for a moment?" She stood from her cubicle and walked across the narrow hallway to her boss' desk. To say that she loathed the man was an understatement. Every time he looked at her she could feel him trying to take of her clothes. "Sir?" He was flipping through a folder that looked sneakingly familiar. Like the one she hid in her bottom drawer filled with random doodlings of some great ideas for a new motorcycle engine. "I want you to deliver these sketches to Togyo-san to have the other designers and engineers look them over."

"May I ask what those sketches are sir?"

"No you may not, but since you did and I'm in a good mood I might as well indulge you," his dark beady eyes met with her cool green, "I was struck with inspiration late last night and I wanted them to look it over to check my math and perhaps get it into a project." The part that pissed her off the most was that he said it all without even blinking. And to add insult to injury he wanted her to deliver them. "Excuse me sir, but I believe those are my sketches." It was hard to be polite especially when she had the strongest desire to punch him in his lecherous face, but Shizuru had spent too much time weeding out her habbit to beat the crap out of first, ask questions later. She didn't want all of Shizuru's efforts to be for naught, so she restrained,...for now.

"Are you calling me a liar?" Again, with a firm gaze, daring her to say yes. And oh man, did she want to take him up on that challenge, but no, she had to keep control. _What would Shizuru do? What would Shizuru do?_ "No, perhaps my folder got mixed up with the folder of your ideas and so the one in your hand is mine, but I'm sure yours is around here somewhere." _That's right, give him a chance to honorably back out, she would have done that right?_ "No, these are mine, and if you continue to insist otherwise I suggest you get your cute little ass out of my office and don't bother coming back." _Fuck it, I'll ask for forgiveness later.  
_Natsuki closed the office door behind her, the folder clutched in her hands. She grabbed an empty box from the cabinet, filled it with her stuff from her desk and walked out of the office, never looking back. It would be sometime before anyone realized that their boss was oddly silent and they'd find him unconscious in his chair with a black eye.

She threw her keys and helmet onto the kitchen bar slamming down the box with her few possessions beside them. Needless to say she was pissed off. Had it been a few years ago she probably would have been swearing at the top of her lungs, but lately she didn't have that much fight in her. She was becoming weary of Shizuru's absence, and now she didn't even have a job.

She eagerly stripped off the stockings and female monkey suite changing into basketball shorts and a tank top before gathering Shizuru's post cards and plopping down onto the floor. She looked through all of them, reading the fine and elegant handwriting of her best friend. _Shizuru,_ a single tear dripped down her face, _Where are you now?_

_

* * *

_

The airport was crowded as usual. She sat in a tea shop quietly sipping down her drink in hopes of doing the same to the nervousness building inside of her. This was her first time back in three years. She toyed with the cell phone in her pocket wondering if she should risk making the call. Chances were her phone was tapped, which was the whole reason she resorted to sending post cards instead. It also made sure Natsuki was aware of her general location for security purposes. Surely Natsuki would notice if she stopped receiving them, and she'd have a lead as to where to begin searching for her. _But I'm just being paranoid right?_ Wrong. Part of the whole reason she took this journey of hers was not only to find herself again, and possibly overcome the madness that was lurking within, but her mother said that if she ever stepped foot back in Japan she'd better be prepared to fulfill the name of Fujino and that meant leaving Natsuki forever and marrying a man to take over her father's dynasty. He had no intention of her staying away forever, however, so more than likely after the first few years she figured they'd send someone to force her back and take up her "responsibility." She decided to beat them to it, but she wasn't ready to stomach the idea of a man, no, she wasn't ready to lose Natsuki and she doubted if she ever would. Natsuki would never forgive her for it either, and she'd had enough of hurting the girl. It was time she saw her again, but there was no way she'd be able to call. Her only hope was that Natsuki still lived in the Tokyo address she'd sent her.

She worked up the courage to hail a cab and produced a paper with Natsuki's rough handwriting that had the address. Now all she could hope was that it wasn't too late, and Natsuki was still awake and waiting for her.

She had the cab circle the block a few times to make sure no one was following. If they were they were really good because she didn't see any one. She took out the battery in her phone and hid it under the chair of the cab before exiting with her only bag and making her way up to the tall apartment building.

The door was locked. How disappointing. After several knocks and still no answer she resorted to flirting the key from the man behind the lobby desk. It took a lot of work and forced restraint from openly gagging before she weaseled it out of him, claiming to be Natsuki's relative that just flew into town and wanted to surprise her. She may have made it seem like she was open to a date with the man but if he would have been paying attention to what she was actually saying instead of ogling her then he would have realized that she never actually did. At least that's how she justified manipulating him to herself.

Once inside she was greeted with the cutest, most adorable sight that she had been sorely missing for the past three years. Natsuki was curled up asleep on the floor clutching tightly to her chest a stack of post cards with a few scattered around her. Her mouth was hanging slightly open with the faintest hints of drool. Her raven hair splayed across the creme colored carpet adding to her whole tragically beautiful appeal.

"Natsuki..." It felt so good to see her again, and for her to be holding so dearly to those small squares of overpriced cardboard sent a warmth through Shizuru's heart and she knew then that she made the right decision to come here first. There was no way in hell she was going to miss out on this for a name that never provided her with the comforts that the girl sleeping before her always did.

She finally broke her gaze away from the beautiful girl to admire her place. The opposite wall was a giant window looking out onto the city. A single, leather chair facing out to admire the view, a small table with a lamp and brandy to keep it company. There was a coffee table in the center of the room with an empty instant ramen cup settled on top of it. A small, unused, fire place warmly rested on the left wall, a small digital clock on its mantle. To the right was the kitchen with an open bar. Next to the bar were steel bars drilled into the half wall, like a ladder that lead to an open second floor. Beside the ladder was another door that led into the bathroom. All she could make out of the second floor was a black entertainment center with a flat screen TV and not much else. She wondered if that was where Natsuki slept.

"Ara ara, how am I supposed to carry Natsuki up to bed now?" The mentioned girl replied with a grunt and a slight shift in position. All in all the place looked nice if not for a little bare when it came to decor, but she figured that was probably least of Natsuki's worries. She scoured the studio for pillows and blankets bringing them over to the peacefully sleeping girl, hoping to make it as comfortable for her as possible. Changing into her own sleep wear she slid in beside the girl only to be surprised when Natsuki rolled over wrapping her arm over her waist and drawing her close. Natsuki let out a contented sigh and whispered, "Shi...zuru." Shizuru's heart pounded in her chest. Natsuki was being too cute, too soon and it was overwhelming. "Natsuki Ikezu," she whispered back to the deeply sleeping girl before joining her in slumber.

She was glad she woke up first. It would have been harder if she hadn't. Her finger lazily traced the face of the sleeping blunette, drinking in the angelic innocence that seemed to radiate off of her with the halo of sunshine behind her head. "Natsuki...," she whispered and gently pressed her lips to the sleeping girls forehead, "aishiteru."

* * *

Natsuki slowly opened her eyes with a bright smile on her face, clutching a pillow that suspiciously smelled like Shizuru. She looked around the empty apartment realizing that she was asleep on the floor tangled in sheets she didn't remember having when she first fell asleep. She couldn't have done it while half asleep because then she might as well have just stayed on the second landing and slept on her bed. Getting up she made her way to the kitchen bar where a glass of orange juice sat next to a plate of eggs, toast and strawberries. _What the hell._ Moving the play to the side she found a postcard that she knew for a fact she didn't have before. Her eyes widened at the sight. It was of Kyoto.

"Shizuru," tears slowly dripped down her cheek as she looked over the neat and unmistakable handwriting.

_Ara, good morning Natsuki, or rather good afternoon. I'm pretty sure you won't get this until around then. Natsuki is such a sleepy head after all. I'm sorry I had to leave before you were awake, but it was worth seeing my cute Natsuki sleep after such a long time. By this time I should already be in Kyoto, or at least almost there. You see there is something just down right infuriating about being a Fujino that I must take care of. If you don't hear from me in some way by the next month then be warned that my mission has gone awry. Whatever you do, don't call. And remember that I will always love you. Be safe. Oh and I hope you don't mind but I kept your pillow to remind me of my Natsuki who keeps me warm during lonely nights XD._

_Your body pillow for the evening ;),_

_Shizuru_

Natsuki would normally have been a fuming red by now if not for the constant nagging at the back of her head telling her that Shizuru's _mission_ was a serious one that could be a potential threat to her well being. She gripped the card tighter, worry filling her every fiber. _How could a name be dangerous? Stop being paranoid Kuga._ She tried to reason with herself. Letting out a sigh and digging into the breakfast Shizuru had prepared for her she whispered, "please be careful, Shizuru..."

- - -

"You don't look so good. Are you alright?" Mai asked, sitting across from Natsuki in the booth. "I'm fine." She let out a sigh and took a sip from the tea. "I didn't realize you drank tea. In fact I don't think you ever did. When did you pick up that habbit?" Mai still lived in Fuuka, but that didn't stop her from worrying about Natsuki especially since Shizuru left and she moved to Tokyo not long after. But all she had managed to extract from the stubborn girl over the phone were monosyllabic grunts. So she decided to close her cafe for the weekend and drop by, only to find a tea addicted puppy, lost, even as it roamed around dragging the leash once held by its master.

"I don't know. It's more of a habbit really. If I had to guess I'd say three years ago." Mai carefully looked over her friend as she took sips of the tea unaware of Mai's inquisitive gaze.

"I don't get you. Or the Kaichou for that."

"Huh?" Natsuki met Mai's violet eyes, her hand instinctively going to the leather jacket she wore where the most recent postcard from Shizuru was resting. "She was your most important person right?"

"_Is,_ yes."

"And you hers."

"Right."

"She's totally in love with you."

"Uhuh." Natsuki had no idea where Mai was going with this but it was starting to make her feel uneasy.

"And you?"

"Me what?"

"Do you love her?"

"Well, yeah she's my most important person." _What part of that did she miss?_

"No. I mean are you _in_ love with her?" Silence was her answer. Natsuki let out a sigh. She didn't know the answer to that question then and she didn't know it now. Even if she did she wouldn't be able to just tell Mai like that. Things like love, and in love, were very complex things and her worry for Shizuru's well being was clouding her ability to think it through.

"She's not the Kaichou Mai. Hasn't been for five years."

"Your changing the subject." The carrot top wasn't going to let her get away with it that easy. "Natsuki, you've been a mess since she left. You drink tea only because its her favorite. You're a lot more tame only because she trained you--"

"You make it sound like I'm her dog!" Natsuki snapped back. "I'm not...lost, I'm not...waiting, I'm not...I'm not," _in love?_ They were all lies, and still she couldn't bring herself to say it. As thought that would betray her. _Who?_ _Myself of course, it would betray myself._ No. Another lie. It would be like betraying Shizuru._Shizuru...Shizuru..._ Natsuki tightened her grip on the small porcelain cup, glaring down at the greenish liquid, hoping somehow her anger would cover the tears that threatened to spill. _Why couldn't she have woken me up._ She wanted to see her again. To at least be consciously aware that they were in each other's presence. Her hand made its way to the inside pocket of her jacket and fingered the edge of the card.

"You're not what?" Mai asked. Natsuki had totally forgotten about her by this point.

"Employed. I lost my job."

"What?! How?" Diversion successful. Mai was now standing, or trying to, hands gripping tightly to the table while giving the biker her best reprimanding look.

"He tried to steal my work. He said I had a cute ass." Only one person was aloud to say she had a cute anything and even that was pushing it, "so I...handled...things."

"You handled things? What would Kai...Fujino-san say about that?"

"Hey, hey! I know alright. That's the only reason I just got fired and didn't get sent to jail or something." Did she actually expect that to be a comforting thought? Mai hoped not. Where was Kaichou when you needed her. "As soon as your owner, Fujino-san gets back I'm sure everything in your contained, little world will be alright again." Natsuki didn't give her the reaction she was expecting. No glares, open threats to her personal well being. At least a grunt would have been sufficient. Instead she acted as though Mai had not even spoken and continued sipping her tea. _Odd._

"When are you heading back down to Fuuka?"

"That desperate to get rid of me?"

"No just curious." Mai ran a hand through her orange hair.

"I'm leaving tomorrow. I can't leave Tate alone too long with Mikoto. It's going to be a mad house when I get back. You're just lucky that I'm such a great friend." _Really I wonder,_ Natsuki didn't dare say that out loud though.

* * *

"Otousan...Please let me speak...No I am not harmed, despite your efforts...I just wanted to let you know that I am unable to comply with your request...No I suppose I don't...Much more than you can for me...I don't think that concerns you. Good bye Otousan, tell Okaasan I send my condolences." She hung up the pay phone and leaned back against the booth's glass. It wouldn't be so easy as that, she knew, but it was a start.

She made her way to the nearest gift shop and found the targeted stand. Giving the rack a good spin, she stopped it and pulled out a card of a Majestic White capped mountain with Hokkaido neatly scrawled down the right side. She sat on a nearby bench and took out her favorite pen and began to write.


	2. Informant

**Sorry for the delay. I've been busy.**

**

* * *

**

-------------

**Informant**

**-----------  
**

There she sat, in her chair, staring out the large glass wall to the city below. There were too many lights on to see the stars, but the skyscrapers nearby and the street lights far below were view enough for the girl as she absorbed the sight in silence save for the clink of ice against glass as she swallowed her drink. Mai was already asleep, borrowing her bed for the night before she was to return to her life in Fuuka.

It wasn't that Natsuki was jealous of Mai's life, but there were times when she wondered what it would be like to have a family like that. Someone you could leave the cafe to while your gone, someone to keep you warm while you sleep in winter. _Shizuru's birthday is during winter._ Even a little brat that eats all your food and makes a huge commotion out of everything due to excess energy, while tiring, brings motion and events to a life that can so easily go stagnant. _Shizuru always made thing interesting._

_Dammit that was twice._ She told herself that every time she thought about how she missed Shizuru while sitting in her chair tonight she would chug four fingers high of brandy. This way she could become too wasted to go to bed, because she refused to share her futon, even under friendly circumstances, with someone that wasn't her. _Make that three._

She dutifully emptied her glass and filled it back for each time. It was getting close to a month now since Shizuru's last postcard. She could feel her nervousness at the thought of what it would mean if it didn't come. What would she do then, should she just keep opening her mail box and hope that it was just going to be late? Would it mean that Shizuru was dead? No, she shouldn't think that way. It will come. _If Shizuru dies will I still die too?_

"Baka!" She drank more of the liquor hoping it would ease the knot inside of her and drown out that last thought. Someone in the building across the way just turned off their lights. A few other apartments were still lit, not many. This would be the perfect place to snipe somebody from. _A bit expensive for a one night stay, I guess it would depend on the value of the job. _Like hunting an heiress. _Could someone be after Shizuru?_

"I'm an Idiot." _Seven times over._ She reached over to fill her glass finding that the brandy was missing. She looked over to the last place she knew it was. There was still a water mark from it on the table. _Am I that drunk already?_

"Yes you are." Her foggy green eyes looked up at the lady with fire on her head. "Fire lady, I need to drink three more glasses. That was the deal."

"Natsuki, you're drunk."

"Whaaaat?! You're insane fire lady. I don't drink to get drunk, I drink to pass time while I'm waiting. See?" Natsuki wasn't sure what point she was trying to make by showing that her glass was empty, but she held it out to Mai any way. Maybe she was just hoping her waitress instincts would kick in and she'd refill her glass. "I think you've had enough to drink for the night."

"What type of service is this? I want my drink. If you're not going to give it back to me then just go back to sleep fire lady, or go home."

"Natsuki." The buzz was rapidly fading and she hated the lucidity that came with that.

"Leave me alone Mai!" Her now clear green eyes glared up at the red head that brought on the lag in her drinking binge. She might have been a bit too harsh, but holding on to the anger was the only thing keeping the loneliness at bay where the alcohol was failing. "Go to sleep, or go home," she whispered dangerously, her focus now on the world just beyond her window. A silence passed between the two that only the carrot top was heavily aware of. Natsuki was already gone in another world watching the glass slowly fog from the dropping temperatures. _Shizuru's birthday is in winter._

The next morning she found herself curled beneath a heavy blanket on her leather chair. Unfortunately the blanket didn't smell like Shizuru this time. There was breakfast already laid out for her though, no postcard beneath the plate. Only a note from Mai saying she already left and something about Natsuki being a stupid jerk that needs to pull herself together. At least that's what she figured it said, she didn't read it properly. As soon as she knew it wasn't from Shizuru she just glanced it over and threw it away. She _was_ a stupid jerk after all. No sense in disappointing now.

She reluctantly got ready for a class she had at noon at Tokyo Tech where she was working on finishing her undergrad in engineering. She was tempted to just forgo the whole schooling process for the day and go out to look for a job, but Shizuru never liked her bad school habits so she decided to just get her shit together and go. She would look for a job later.

School, what did it mean to her anyway? Aside from her natural curiosity in anything that moved quickly on two wheels there wasn't much she looked forward to there. If she had been Natsuki B.S. (Before Shizuru) she would have spent her days riding it out on her motorcycle, feeling and enjoying the solitude of the wind blowing in your face as she did now. If she would have even still been alive. Back then riding fast was the only way she knew how to escape the loneliness and anger even if it was always right behind her.

Now, now she did it for a future she was never planning to live to see. A future with people that cared about her. _Strange, people cared about her._ The thought was almost enough for her to let up on the dangerous speed of her bike...almost. Someone cursed at her as she cut them off to take a sudden right turn. She needed to check on something before she went to class.

* * *

She made her way down the long gravel road leading to the small mansion just at its end. It had been years since she had last seen her aunt, thirteen years to be exact. From what she could remember not much had changed. Her aunt was still living in the middle of nowhere, estranged from her brother but still wealthy beyond belief.

"Shichan? Is that you?" Her aunt blinked her eyes multiple times, not used to seeing her niece as the woman that stood before her now.

"Yes obasan. It's been a long time."

"Oh drop the formalities Shichan. You sound like my stuffy little brother. What was it you used to call me again?" A faint tint of red found its way to Shizuru's cheeks almost invisible to the untrained eye...almost. "Oh yes it was..."

"Obachan, as much as I would like to reflect on past experiences there is something that I need to speak to you about. Preferably inside, yes?"

"Of course, of course Forgive an old woman her childish excitement."

"You're not that old obachan."

"I wasn't 'that old' twenty three years ago, but come along, you're probably tea dehydrated by now if you're anything like us Fujino." Her aunt winked and led her into her home.

"So what is it that you need? Is my brother giving you a hassle?"

"Yes, I do suppose it is quite the inconvenience." They sat down opposite each other in her aunt's study. "Ha, you really are a Kansai woman you know."

"Knowing you it's hard to tell whether that is a compliment or an insult."

"Indeed."

"Who's being politely ambiguous now?"

They both laughed this time. "I apologize, I only meant that you took quite well to the culture they beat into you. I'm glad you're not as uptight as my sister-in-law, but you still manage to keep, I guess, the aura of a 'proper' Kyoto woman." She frowned at the word proper, knowing that if her parents knew the truth they would say she was anything but. Would her aunt feel the same? It was better not to test that out quite yet. Right now she needed her aunt's help and her knowing could do nothing to benefit only heighten the chance that she'd create another enemy.

"So I'm assuming by your expression that they do not agree with that statement."

"Not particularly, no, it's more so that I don't, or perhaps that they won't..."

"You mean once you reveal your hand?"

"I find very little enjoyment playing poker with my parents, however, I have no choice but to at least sit at the table." Her aunt chuckled. "Now that's a sight I would love to see. So how may I be of assistance?"

"Well, while we're still using atrocious poker metaphors, I would like you to become the dealer."

"Ha ha, yes, of course. Though I warn you, I play with a loaded deck."

"That is what I was counting on."

"You know, I knew the moment that you opened your eyes that we would get along."

"Could it have something to do with us sharing eyes, perhaps?" Her aunt gave her a sad smile, "yes, perhaps." She rose her slender brow in question at her aunt's sudden melancholy.

"You seem to be a lot like me in a sense, and so I worry. Could this have something to do with perhaps a special person in your life, a..._boy_, that your parents find less than suitable?" She took mental note of the use of the phrase 'your parents' as opposed to 'my brother' or 'my sister-r in-law' as had been used up to this point. She didn't miss the inflection on boy either. "Your brother and sister-in-law have yet to attain knowledge of any such..._boy_, as you say, as of yet."

"So it's only a matter of time, I see."

"Time of which they are not happy to give." Her aunt studied her carefully with her dark, almost brown red eyes.

"What is her name?"

* * *

"I believe you know why I'm here."

"The usual I presume. Although I thought your girlfriend finished that business for you."

"Tch, she's not my girlfriend!.._sigh_...I just need to know somethings."

"That is usually why we meet, yes."

"Is the First District or Sears up to anything lately...regarding us hime or..."

"Or more specifically Fujino-hime? No. They've been quiet on that front. Although I must say you're not the first to make such inquiries."

"What? Who?"

Ah let's see. I can't seem to recall..."

After much grumbling she slid an envelope stuffed with yen over to her contact.

"Yes I remember, Sato Takeshi. Here's where you can find him," he slid over a piece of paper. She snatched it up and was ready to bolt out the door, "wait!" He grabbed tightly to her sleeve. "You have to be careful. This guy, he wasn't looking for Fujino. He was asking about her, but the name he was trying to fish from me, was yours."

- - -

She sat absently at her desk. Her eyes focused on nothing in particular. She made sure to have them look somewhere around where her open text book was. Not that it mattered much anyway, the sensei was too absorbed in the lecture to notice an unfocused Natsuki.

Yamada's words kept repeating in her head. What did it all mean? Why were they looking for her? She felt it had something to do with Shizuru being totally in love with her but she couldn't be sure. Still, why would some guy want to know about a friend of Shizuru's? Maybe they were hoping to black mail Shizuru. _Oh my God! I'm a danger to Shizuru! _She always knew Shizuru's association with her would bring about her own downfall. Dammit! She should have been more persistent in distancing herself from—no. That wouldn't have been right. Natsuki A.S. has much to be grateful for. And more than likely Shizuru wouldn't let her think along the lines that she was treading. A lot may have happened but without it they wouldn't be where they are now. Wherever that was.

"Gah! Where is she?"

"Who, Kugasan?" The sensei along with the rest of the class was now focused on her after her outburst.

"Erm...I got lost? So I didn't know where you were?"

"Pg. 350 section 5-1."

"Right, thanks."

She was more than glad once class was finally let out. She decided to tail this Takeshi guy and find out who he was working for. However, when she got to his house there was no one there. So she decided to let herself in and take a look around.

It had been a while since she was last breaking and entering a building. Luckily this house was nothing like some of the First District complex's she had been to. Forget watchdogs, those were for pansies, no, watch out for orphan's, paid off cops and state of the art security systems. Electric fences and her were mortal enemies. No, she did not miss those days. Not entirely anyway. There were still times where she missed the drive and assurance she had of a working goal. It may have been a narrow goal based on misplaced anger and vengeance but it was something to work towards. No to mention the adrenaline rush that comes with being in constant danger. Back then she could afford to put her life on the line because she had nothing. Now...now...She needed to make sure Shizuru was okay.

She picked the lock of the back door and made her way inside. There were no pictures around, basic home and décor, apparently not much of a family man. Though this might not really be his house. It could just be his base of operations.

She snagged a bottle of root beer from his fridge before continuing through the other rooms. A living room with a couch and a small TV. A bathroom, a bedroom with only a futon laying untidily in the center and another room that had the door closed. She made quick work of the lock and went inside.

It appeared to be his home office, and compared to the rest of the house, the one most inhabited by its attendant. There were food box's and wrappers all over, stacks of opened books and papers skewed all over the surface of the wooden desk. She ruffled through some of them and moved on to the filling cabinets when she found nothing of interest. She went through the manilla folders looking for keywords when she stopped at one that was labeled HiMe. She took it out and shuffled through the papers. They had a picture of Shizuru drinking...coke? _Wow I'm keeping this picture. _The pages were filled with information on her, her child, the people she murdered and pages on a probable list of her most important person. _Shit._ There was a brief page on Reito. At the bottom it read: "Kanzaki Reito, fuukukaichou of Fuuka academy, relation to subject not strong. He is not the key."

"Suzushiro Haruka, executive director of Fuuka academy, one sided rivalry with subject. Definitely not the key."

"Masashi Takeda," _annoying prick_, "Kendo captain, no relation to subject. Not the key."

"Yuuichi Tate, Student council yes-man, no relation to subject. Not the key." The list went on and on with a bunch of names of girls, that Natsuki may have vaguely remembered. They most likely made up her fan club. _This guy is really thorough_. She's just lucky that her and Shizuru kept their relationship on the down low and that Yamada was an ally. She needed to thank him later.

However well that seemed to ease her fears of being discovered it only intensified the anxiety of the danger Shizuru must be in. They may not know about her yet but it was only a matter of time before this guy or his employer found someone willing to talk. She and especially Shizuru were not on best terms with First District. Now if she could only find who was paying the guy to dig all this up... She was flipping through a stack of mail when red and blue silently flickered in through the window. _Shit._ She shoved the file's and stack of mail into her book bag and ran down the stairs to the back yard where she had parked her motorcycle and killed the grass.

She heard the faint murmurings of the officers as they approached the front door. She quietly pushed her bike along to the side of the house waiting for them to actually enter before she could take off. They seemed to hover by the door for a while before entering. She took advantage of the moment, fired up her Ducati and sped off. _Damn, I didn't get to finish the root beer. _She then realized her mistake of leaving it behind in favor of grabbing the mail. She could only pray they wouldn't do all that fancy stuff she saw on those American TV shows. Otherwise she'd be screwed.

When she got home to the apartment she was happy to note the presence of a glossy card mixed in with the rest of her mail. "So it's Hokkaido now is it," she smiled dropping her bag on the floor temporarily forgetting about the contents within.

_Ara, hello Natsuki. As you can tell I'm in Hokkaido to visit my aunt. It's pretty cold up here especially without my snugly puppy to keep me warm ;P Your pillow is a sorry replacement._

At this point the blush was adorning her face, "damn you Shizuru."

_But hopefully after sorting things out with her, there will be less complications and in no time I'd be able to finally settle down. Nothing is certain yet so until then stay safe. You can't get hurt or sick until I'm there to take proper care of you. I have the Negi ready and everything. Just kidding but anyway I'm rambling now. _

_Till next post card,_

_Shizuru3_

Natsuki plopped down onto the floor and lay back, unaware of the smile on her face. _You better hurry Shizuru. Only you can tell me what it means to have a most important person, and I am so lost._


End file.
